Redemption
by TVCrazed
Summary: Rachel's 4 degrees of redemption.
1. Rachel Gatina to Brooke Davis

This is my take on Rachel coming back. I wanted to post this before the show started the new season, and I lost track of time so I'm cutting it close. lol :). I wrote this a while ago and the next parts are all done, so all I need know are **REVIEWS**.

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Rachel Gatina to Brooke Davis

I look down at the phone in my hand. I see the name highlighted, waiting for me to press the big, green button. _Can I do this? Should I do this? What's going to happen if I do this? What's going to happen if I don't do this? Will she forgive me? Can she forgive? This is only the first of many bullets you have to bite, Gatina. Just do it._ I pressed the green button.

4 rings. That's all it took for me to hear the voice that's been in my head for the last year and a half. "Hello?" She answered the phone with apprehension in her voice. Like she was scared of what she would hear on the other end of the phone. I guess that's understandable. My name hasn't come up on her phone for a while, or at least the number, if she deleted my name.

"Hey, Brooke, it's Rachel."

"What do you want?" Her voice is now full of the bitchiness that I recognize from our early years.

"I...I." I had to stop and take a deep breath. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm okay."

"I bet you are, with the money you stole from me."

"I will give you back every cent, Brooke, I swear. I just needed it to clean myself up."

"I don't believe you. I can't believe you."

"I know and that's okay. But I really did use it to get clean. I couldn't do it here, not with you. I had to do it on my own so I left the country. I'm clean now, Brooke, and I have the money that I took from you."

"So where have you been, besides rehab?" Brooke asked in a slightly nicer tone

"Well, right now I'm sitting outside of a Starbucks in Charlotte. Brooke, I want you to know that I wanted to come back sooner, but I had to make sure that I could live on my own again. I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I had come back and wrecked your life again."

"You didn't wreck my life, Rachel."

"Well, I didn't exactly help you. And you didn't need to deal with me with everything you had on your plate. Your mother was right, I didn't need to be there pulling you away from the things that really mattered.

"Wait, when did you talk to my mother?"

"She came in when you and Peyton were at Jamie's party."

"Rachel, you were never a hindrance to my career. Whatever my mother said to you was a lie."

"But still, Brooke, you're my best friend, practically my only friend, I couldn't live with myself if I hurt you in some way, and that's exactly what I was doing when I was there."

"Okay, I know you're not going to change your thinking so I want you to know that whatever my mother says is always different from what I think. And you're welcome here anytime, day or night."

"Okay, I'm glad we got this all settled." There was a pause in our conversation. I guess we didn't know what else to say. That is, until Brooke said the four words that I had been longing to hear from her.

"I forgive you, Rachel."

"Thank you, Brooke. I meant what I said. You really are my best friend, and I'm sorry about the way we ended things."

"It's in the past."

"Okay, well, I have to go."

"Okay, bye, Slut"

"Bye, Skank." I said with a smile and disconnected the call. One down, three to go.

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Well there you have it. Tell me what you think.

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	2. Rachel Gatina to Nathan Scott

Here's the second part of the series.

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Rachel Gatina to Nathan Scott

As I drove past the River Court I saw him. He was playing with a little blonde-haired boy. _Well, it's now or never. _I parked the car and walked over just as the ball rolled to my feet.

"Hi," the boy said.

"Hi, is that your dad over there?" I ask already knowing the answer.

"Yeah." Just as I was about to ask him if he could call his dad over to us, Nathan turned to us.

"Rachel." Nathan said as he came over to us.

"Nathan, hey."

"What are you doing here, Rachel? I heard you ditched Brooke after she tried to help you."

"I left for me and Brooke. I needed to get myself together and I didn't want Brooke to watch me get worse before I got better."

"Okay. So what are you doing here now?"

"Well, actually, I wanted to talk to you."

"About what?"

"About us." That did not come out right. I had to rephrase. "I mean about all that happened between us in high school."

"What about it?"

"I just want to apologize."

"Rachel, I've learned not to dwell on the past and focus on the future. So don't worry about what happened between us in high school. It's over, and I've forgiven you, even though there's not really anything to forgive." Nathan put his hands on her shoulders. "And by you being here I can tell you want to focus on the future too. So just keep it up."

"Thanks." I was shocked that this conversation with Nathan went so well. "Do you think Haley will think so?"

"She might be a little harder than me but I think she'll come around."

"Thanks. I really hope so, I think I treated her worst than anyone and I really want to explain why."

"Well, I'm pretty sure she's still at home." Nathan gave me the directions to his house.

"Wish me luck."

"You'll do fine." And with that I left the father and son to continue playing their game. Two down, two to go.

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	3. Rachel Gatina to Haley JamesScott

Here's 3 of 4.

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Rachel Gatina to Haley James-Scott

Okay, so here I am sitting in my car in front of the Scott house. Haley might just be the hardest person for me to have to get through to. "_You can do this, Gatina. You've made it this far. Just relax. You need to do this. You've made it this far. You're a long way from high school." _I took at deep breath and exhaled slowly. _"You can do this." _I got out of the car. _"Is this walk to the door supposed to feel like a walk down death row?" _I finally make it to the door and take another breath as I ring the doorbell.

I could tell Haley was stunned when she opened up the door. "Hi, Haley"

"What are you doing here?"

"May I come in?"

"Rachel, just tell me what you want."

"I just want to talk to you. Clear the air between us."

"Where's this sudden need to make nice coming from?" Haley asked skeptically.

"May I come in and explain everything?"

Haley looked her former enemy over before motioning her into the house. Haley led Rachel over to the couch. Rachel sat on the couch and Haley took a spot on the love seat across from her. "So what are you doing here?"

"I just want to apologize to you for everything that happened in high school. All I can really say about my actions was that I was jealous of you. I mean, you were kind of the person that I wanted to be all my life." I had to take a breath before I continued. I couldn't tell if she was really following me or not. But I continued. "You were automatically liked Haley, even if you kept to yourself. I'm sure you know this, but I was kind of big when I was younger so I didn't have that many friends, or any at all for that matter, and everyone liked you even if you didn't know it. And Nathan loves you so much. Even when he was hanging out with me I could tell that. That was another thing that you had that I didn't. You had someone to love you and I wanted that. I've never had that ever." I never thought this would be this emotionally draining. I rubbed my eyes to stop the tears from coming down. "I don't even think my own parents know what I look like. I just wanted the love that you had. But I know now that trying to take Nathan from you was not the way. And I know now that I have to earn love, it's not just going to be given to me. And I have to find my own way to love." I stopped again to gain back my composure. "Well, thanks for listening to me; I guess I'll go now." I stood up to leave, but I turned back to Haley still on the love seat. "I want you to know, that you have a beautiful boy and family. I hope to have the same someday." I start to walk away but Haley's voice called me back.

"You've changed Rachel; I know you'll find love and get your family. In the meantime you are always welcome here. And I want you to know, that I forgave you a long time ago for all that happened in high school."

"Thanks, Haley. Well I'll just go now." Haley got up to walk me to the door. We exchanged goodbyes, I think it's too early for hugs, before I walked down the walkway and to the driveway where my jeep was and got in. Three down, one to go.

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	4. Rachel Gatina to Marvin Mouth McFadden

Not sure how happy I am with this chapter. Just wrote it. I couldn't remember anything about Mouth and Millie or if Rachel knew about Millicent or if Mouth and Millie even knew each other or what was going on between the two when Rachel was there so I just assumed some things. Last part to "Redemption." And of course I'm cutting it close with posting it 15 minutes before the new season lol.

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Rachel Gatina to Marvin "Mouth" McFadden

_Deep breath, Gatina. This is your last stop. You can do this. You've come this far. You can do this. Just knock on the door." _

"Rachel, what are you doing here?" I recognized the woman who opened the door as Brooke's assistant, Millicent.

"Uh, hi…Millicent; I thought this was Mouth's place."

"Oh, it is. We moved in together."

"Wow. Last I heard you guys were just getting started. Congratulations." _I'm truly happy for Mouth. He deserves someone sweet and who will make him happy. And Millie seems to be that person._

"Oh, thanks. I can get Marvin if you like."

"I'd really appreciate it."

"No problem. Come in." Millie let me in to the apartment. "Have a seat. I'll get Marvin for you." With that, Millie walked through a door.

I looked around the apartment. It was nice. It felt homey. I was interrupted from my perusing by a voice.

"Rachel, what are you doing here?" Mouth asked, as he came over, pulled me up from the couch, and pulled me into a hug.

"I wanted to talk to you."

"Okay, about what?" We both took a seat on the couch.

"About everything, I guess. I feel like our whole relationship was based on me taking advantage of you."

"Rachel, you never took advantage of me. Everything I did with you was because I wanted to. You're my friend."

"Yeah, but sometimes I feel like I used you in some way."

"It wasn't like that."

"Well, I'm trying to fix all the relationships that I have broken over the years and build on the possible relationships I could have had, and you are the last stop on my train of redemption."

"I'm last. I'm kind of insulted." Mouth joked.

"I kind of had to work my way up to you. Like I said, I feel like I've taken advantage of you the most throughout the years and I wanted to apologize."

"Like I said Rachel, there's nothing to apologize for. I'm glad you're getting your life back together. I'm really glad to see it."

"I'm really trying. I want to be a different person than who I was. I know I'm better than who I was before."

"You had to figure out what I already knew for yourself, and it shows, Rachel."

"Thanks, Mouth, for not giving up on me even you had every right and opportunity to. Well, I guess, I'll go. I just wanted to talk to you and clear the air between us."

"There was no need. The air has always been clear between us."

"Thanks again, Mouth. You have no idea how much your friendship means to me." We both stood up from the couch and hugged again.

"Same here, Rachel." After our hug ended we both walked over to the door. "Don't be a stranger, Rachel."

"I won't. I'm moving back here, so you'll see so much of me you'll be sick of me."

"That could never happen." Mouth said.

"Bye, Mouth." I had to say with a smile.

"Bye, Rachel."

_Mission accomplished, Gatina. You came back here and you faced your past and the person you used to be head on. Congratulations. Now you just have to keep it up. You can do this._

So this was the last part of the series. I want to know what you think.

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